At leat 37 dead when hospital catches fire

Russia, Sep 13 – Thirty-seven people have died in a fire that engulfed a psychiatric hospital in north-western Russia, officials say.

The blaze occurred in the village of Luka, in Novgorod region. The timber-built hospital housed some 60 people.

A nurse who tried to guide patients to safety was among the dead, Russian media report. So far 15 bodies have been recovered at the scene.

The fire broke out just before 03:00 local time (23:00 GMT Thursday). A patient smoking may have started it.

Officials had previously ordered the building to be closed because of safety concerns.

The fire started in the male ward and spread quickly through the single-storey Oksochi hospital, emergency ministry officials say. TV pictures later showed the gutted building.

"Medical personnel saw a patient who was shrouded in flames. It's possible that he was smoking in bed and the mattress caught fire," regional governor Sergei Mitin told Russia's Interfax news agency.

He added that the ward housed severely ill patients.

Forest searched

More than 20 people were evacuated during the blaze.The fire has now been extinguished, and hundreds of rescuers are searching the nearby forest, hoping to find any survivors who may have taken refuge there.

A criminal investigation is now under way for "causing death by negligence".
 

BBC